Tehillim 100 | A Psalm of Thanksgiving

Psalm 100 is a short psalm of praise that concludes the series of praise psalms from 95 to 100. The psalm’s title indicates the context in which it was recited — either the offering of a thanksgiving sacrifice in the Temple (Rashi), or the content of the psalm itself (Radak) — thanksgiving and praise to God. As the conclusion of the praise series, the psalm includes both a call to all nations to praise God and a call directed specifically to Israel. It begins with “Shout out to the Lord, all the earth!” with the rationale being that God is our Creator: “He made us, we are His” (100:3). Then follows a call to Israel, whose reason for praising God is His goodness and kindness. In this call to Israel, we find the phrase “We are His people, the flock He tends,” which closes the call to Israel begun in Psalm 95. There it was written: “We are the people of His pasture, the flock He tends – today, if you would heed His voice” (95:7) — in a critical tone, addressing Israel’s refusal to heed God’s word. In contrast, here the phrase appears as part of a festive call to Israel, standing in the Temple and offering thanks to God for His goodness: “For the Lord is good; His loving-kindness is forever, His faithfulness for all generations” (100:5).